


Hide and Seek

by allmystars



Series: Find Me, Lose Me [1]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Best Friends, Castiel Being Shifty, Detectives, M/M, Missing Persons, Mystery, Potential Dean and Castiel relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-11
Updated: 2019-09-11
Packaged: 2020-10-14 08:38:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,452
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20597882
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allmystars/pseuds/allmystars
Summary: Castiel has disappeared and the police are trying to find him.Dean doesn't think he wants to be found just yet.





	Hide and Seek

“Alright, Mr. Winchester, can you tell us when you last saw Castiel Novak?” The detective watches his every move and he can’t help the misplaced guilt he feels as he shifts in his chair, trying to find a comfortable position on the hard plastic. This is ridiculous—he didn’t do anything and he knows it, so what is there to feel guilty about? He clears his throat and nods, taking a deep breath before speaking.

“Yeah, he was at my house. My son, Dean, and Castiel have been friends since, well, forever.”

_ I sit at the table with the evening paper, my glasses low on my nose as stare at the black and white print, doing my best to ignore my wife as she paces around the kitchen, her movements jerky and agitated as she frets about our eldest son’s newfound sexuality. I don’t ask. I never ask, and I won’t start now._

_ I can feel her eyes burning into the side of my head like daggers, but the key is to never look up. Don’t acknowledge and she’ll go away._

_ “This can’t be appropriate. This isn’t appropriate, John.” She huffs when I don’t respond, continuing her pacing with her hands on her hips—she glances down the hall at Dean’s closed bedroom door, her lips thinning with whatever insane thought she has floating around in her head. “They’re _teenagers_!” She practically hisses, “Who knows what they do behind that door.”_

_ “They play video games,” I mumble, browsing the sports section. Royals lost again, huh? Why am I not surprised?_

_ I only glance up when the door at the end of the hall opens and Castiel rushes out, swiping at his cheeks with trembling fingers. My eyebrows shoot up when I see the glint of tears on his face._

_ “Castiel—”_

_ “I’m heading home now,” he cuts me off with a smile forced onto his face as he hurries for the door, grabbing his jacket and shoving his shoes onto his feet. He doesn’t even bother putting the jacket on before reaching for the doorknob._

_ “Here, let me drive you,” I offer, pushing my chair back from the table and tossing the paper down._

“Then…” The detective leans forward, eyes locked on his and he sits forward in his chair, elbows resting on the smooth tabletop.

“Then I took him home. Waited until he was inside, then went home myself.” He shrugs, sitting back again and ignoring the way the chair squeaks beneath him as the detective stands, thanking Mr. Winchester before leading him from the room.

***

“Now, Mrs. Novak, I know this is difficult for you but I really need to know anything you can tell us?” The detective’s wide, pitying eyes stare back into hers, but she looks away. She doesn’t want to think about it. Ever since Castiel disappeared, all she’s _done _is think about it. “Please? It might help us bring him home faster.”

She sniffles, wiping at her nose with a tissue as she nods. “Yes, yes. Okay, well…um, he was getting ready for school, doing his homework at the last minute and whatnot. He was really bad for that…

_“Castiel James Novak, hurry up!” That damn boy, I swear! Doesn’t have any regard for anyone but himself. I grab my car keys off of the counter as Castiel’s dirty shoes stomp down the stair and tread on my good wood floors. “And for God’s sake, take off your shoes in my house!” I head out the door, throwing it open before slamming it behind me without a backward glance to see if he’s following. The audacity of that boy…God, and to think I offered to drive him to school!_

She, of course, leaves out the nasty bits—the yelling and such—but they don’t need all the nitty-gritty details of her relationship with her son, surely? Do they? Before she can ask, however, she’s ushered out of the room.

***

Balthazar sits with his head down and his hands folded in his lap, trying not to think about what he’s here for and trying not to cry. His hands shake, so he clenches them into tight fists, doing all he can to take deep, steadying breaths as he thinks back to the last time he saw Castiel…

_ “Hey, baby,” I say, slinging my arm around Castiel’s shoulders after homeroom. I kiss the side of his head when he doesn’t respond and walk with him to his locker. “How was your morning?”_

_ “It was fine,” is all he says, pulling out books and putting others away. I nod, pulling my lips in between my teeth as I try to ignore the bite in his tone._

_ “You were late. Something happen with your mom, darling?” He won’t look at me, even when I dip my chin to meet his eyes, and my heart twists again, harder this time._

_ “Just tired of this life is all. This…boring life.” He sighs heavily, his shoulders falling as he stares seemingly at nothing for a bit too long. Then he smiles up at me and I let it go, following him to our next class._

“He wouldn’t tell me what was wrong. Just kept saying he was tired. Tired of this, tired of that. Never anything specific, though.” He shrugs again as his eyes fill with tears. “I could feel him drifting though, you know? He hadn’t been quite right for a while but he’d never tell me why. Just walk away.” Balthazar sniffles loudly and fiddles with his fingers. “We were on the outs—had been for a while, actually. I could tell he had a thing for Dean. Winchester, that is—his best friend—but I didn’t want to believe we were over.”

The detectives have no further questions but they don’t ask Balthazar to leave quite yet. They give him some time to pull himself together before leading him out the door.

***

Dean walks in with a swagger and a smile, putting the detectives on their heels for a moment as they take in his carefree attitude and easy demeanor. He falls into his seat, kicking his feet up and pushing the chair back on two legs.

“What can I do for you, officers?” They clear their throats, blinking a few times and sharing a nervous look, before asking their first question.

“I know this must be difficult for you—”

“Why’s that?” His eyebrows shoot up as he looks between the two of them, his grin never faltering—not even once.

“You…you were informed of Castiel Novak’s disappearance, correct?” The detectives look at each other again with furrowed brows and try to figure out if they had made some kind of mistake. Did someone, somehow, forget to tell Castiel’s _best friend_?

“Yeah, ’course I know, but it’s not a big deal.” He shrugs, “He’ll be back.”

“Right…” The word is drawn out as the detective makes a note before glancing back up at Dean. “When was the last time you saw Castiel?”

“Easy. Just after school…”

_“So, you want my mom to pick us up, or just walk?” I ask as I lean on the locker beside Castiel’s. He looks up at me and scowls, confusion clear on his face before he looks away again—back into his locker._

_ “What?”_

_ “You’re coming over. You said last night—”_

_ “Change of plans. Can’t.” He shoves his books in his bag more hurriedly, taking them all—taking everything, actually. His locker is empty._

_ “Homework?” I ask, eyeing his full bag with a raised eyebrow and a growing sense that something isn’t right. I push it off._

_ “What? No—” He stops himself, glancing at the bag before back at me. “Um, yeah. Yeah, lots of homework. I’ll see you…later.” He slams the locker and pushes through the swarm of people as I stare after him until his dark head of wild hair is lost in the crowd._

_ Huh…weird._

“I know, Cas, though.” His feet drop from the table as the two front legs of the chair settle with a sharp _thunk_. “He’ll show up soon.” Another shrug and an easy smile—no sign of any distress.

Dean leaves the room shortly after, that same swagger and smile on his face, and the detective can’t help but feel that something’s _off _about this whole thing—something isn’t adding up.

“Something isn’t fitting here.” The detective taps her fingers on the file and glances up at her partner.

“What? You think the boy—”

“No, no.” She shakes her head, contemplating the case. “What if…what if he’s right, though?” She flips through the pages of her notes. “What if Castiel Novak wasn’t kidnapped? What if he doesn’t want to be found?”

**Author's Note:**

> Follow me on Twitter at [allmystars_i](https://twitter.com/allmystars_i)  
~  
Follow me on Tumblr at [allmystars-i](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/allmystars-i)  
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